The Pro-Life Majority
12/30/2008 06:50 PM Filed in: Abortion
From USCCB:
SURVEY SHOWS MOST U.S. ADULTS SUPPORT LAWS LIMITING OR REGULATING ABORTION
WASHINGTON—A nationwide survey commissioned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has found that four out of five U.S. adults (82 percent) think abortion should either be illegal under all circumstances (11 percent) or would limit its legality. Thirty-eight (38) percent would limit abortion to the narrow circumstances of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother; and an additional 33 percent would limit abortion to either the first three or first six months. Only 9 percent said abortion should be legal for any reason at any time during pregnancy.
“These findings are remarkable,” said Deirdre McQuade, Assistant Director for Policy & Communications at the USCCB’s Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities. “Fewer than one in ten Americans support legal abortion for any reason at any time during pregnancy. But that is precisely the current state of abortion law under Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decisions that made abortion legal throughout the nine months of pregnancy for virtually any reason.”
The survey of 2,341 adults, conducted online December 10-12, also found that laws limiting or regulating abortion enjoyed support as high as 95 percent among those expressing support or opposition to the six kinds of laws examined in the survey:
“This research indicates how out of touch pro-abortion groups are with mainstream America,” McQuade said.
“These same widely-supported, constitutionally valid measures, some of which have been proven effective in reducing abortion rates, are now seriously threatened by abortion advocates and their allies in Congress,” McQuade said. “On behalf of children and their mothers, we will have to fight to keep such laws in place.”
“Pro-abortion groups have already sent a comprehensive 55-page blueprint for their agenda to the incoming Administration,” McQuade said. “But their agenda—including publicly-funded abortions, passage of the so-called ‘Freedom of Choice Act’ (FOCA), and attacking the Hyde amendment and other longstanding pro-life provisions in appropriations bills—won’t sell in the general public.”
“Most people agree we should work to reduce abortions, but you can’t reduce abortions by promoting abortion and eliminating all the policies that have proven effective in reducing abortions,” McQuade said. “The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will oppose all such threats to human life in whatever manner they are proposed.”
Survey Methodology
Harris InteractiveŽ fielded the study on behalf of USCCB from December 10-12, 2008 via its QuickQuerySM online omnibus service, interviewing a nationwide sample of 2,341 U.S. adults aged 18 years and older. Data were weighted using propensity score weighting to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity, and propensity to be online. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated; a full methodology is available.
SURVEY SHOWS MOST U.S. ADULTS SUPPORT LAWS LIMITING OR REGULATING ABORTION
WASHINGTON—A nationwide survey commissioned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has found that four out of five U.S. adults (82 percent) think abortion should either be illegal under all circumstances (11 percent) or would limit its legality. Thirty-eight (38) percent would limit abortion to the narrow circumstances of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother; and an additional 33 percent would limit abortion to either the first three or first six months. Only 9 percent said abortion should be legal for any reason at any time during pregnancy.
“These findings are remarkable,” said Deirdre McQuade, Assistant Director for Policy & Communications at the USCCB’s Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities. “Fewer than one in ten Americans support legal abortion for any reason at any time during pregnancy. But that is precisely the current state of abortion law under Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decisions that made abortion legal throughout the nine months of pregnancy for virtually any reason.”
The survey of 2,341 adults, conducted online December 10-12, also found that laws limiting or regulating abortion enjoyed support as high as 95 percent among those expressing support or opposition to the six kinds of laws examined in the survey:
“This research indicates how out of touch pro-abortion groups are with mainstream America,” McQuade said.
“These same widely-supported, constitutionally valid measures, some of which have been proven effective in reducing abortion rates, are now seriously threatened by abortion advocates and their allies in Congress,” McQuade said. “On behalf of children and their mothers, we will have to fight to keep such laws in place.”
“Pro-abortion groups have already sent a comprehensive 55-page blueprint for their agenda to the incoming Administration,” McQuade said. “But their agenda—including publicly-funded abortions, passage of the so-called ‘Freedom of Choice Act’ (FOCA), and attacking the Hyde amendment and other longstanding pro-life provisions in appropriations bills—won’t sell in the general public.”
“Most people agree we should work to reduce abortions, but you can’t reduce abortions by promoting abortion and eliminating all the policies that have proven effective in reducing abortions,” McQuade said. “The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will oppose all such threats to human life in whatever manner they are proposed.”
Survey Methodology
Harris InteractiveŽ fielded the study on behalf of USCCB from December 10-12, 2008 via its QuickQuerySM online omnibus service, interviewing a nationwide sample of 2,341 U.S. adults aged 18 years and older. Data were weighted using propensity score weighting to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity, and propensity to be online. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated; a full methodology is available.
The Slave Next Door
12/29/2008 02:12 PM Filed in: Human
Trafficking
Several newspapers around
the state are running an Associated Press story about
child slave labor in the United States.
The North Dakota Catholic Conference is working with others to get new state laws against human trafficking.
Read the story here.
The North Dakota Catholic Conference is working with others to get new state laws against human trafficking.
Read the story here.
New Anti-Trafficking Measure Becomes Law
12/23/2008 06:03 PM Filed in: Human
Trafficking
Bishops
Migration Committee Chairman Lauds Enactment of
Anti-Trafficking Legislation
WASHINGTON—Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City, chairman of the Unites States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, today hailed the enactment of H.R. 7311, the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (TVPRA). Passed by Congress on December 10, the legislation was signed by President Bush on Tuesday, December 23, at the White House.
“Trafficking in human persons is a horrific crime and should be combated with all the legal means and resources available,” Bishop Wester said. “The enactment of this legislation is another important step toward eradicating this scourge, both in the United States and globally.”
In his remarks, Bishop Wester thanked President Bush and Congress for their leadership on this important human rights issue, but also urged President-elect Obama and the new Congress to ensure that anti-trafficking efforts remain a high priority.
“President Bush has done much to elevate public awareness about human trafficking and should be thanked for his leadership,” Bishop Wester said. “It will be important, however, that the new Administration and new Congress remain vigilant and continue to work to end to this abominable practice.”
Julianne Duncan, associate director of Children’s Services for Migration and Refugee Services (MRS) of the USCCB, emphasized the need for governmental agencies at the national and local levels to cooperate in implementing the new law.
“It is vital that the federal and local governments better coordinate their efforts, so that more human trafficking victims, including children, are identified, rescued, and provided appropriate services,” Duncan said.
Specifically, the new law will extend services and benefits to a greater number of trafficking victims who urgently need them. Victims who have a pending application for a visa, for example, will now be eligible for benefits immediately. Additionally, children believed to have experienced a form of trafficking will receive 120 days of interim assistance as they wait to be determined eligible for assistance as victims by the federal government.
Duncan also praised provisions in the legislation which will assist vulnerable children at risk of being trafficked. Provisions include reform of the process for children applying for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), making more children eligible for permanent legal status and refugee program benefits; a mandate that these children are placed in least restrictive settings based on a “best interest of the child” standard; and requirements that home studies be conducted before children are released. Another important provision creates protections for children who are determined ineligible for legal status in the United States and are repatriated to their home country.
“Children, especially those without parents or guardians, are particularly susceptible to human traffickers and are unable to escape trafficking situations. The provisions targeted toward children will help ensure they are better protected and that they receive services in a timely manner,” Duncan said.
MRS/USCCB provides social services to victims of human trafficking and was part of a group of organizations that actively advocated for inclusion of the children’s provisions in the legislation. MRS/USCCB also convenes the Catholic Coalition Against Human Trafficking, a coalition that supported the legislation and includes over 20 Catholic-related agencies and religious orders.
WASHINGTON—Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City, chairman of the Unites States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, today hailed the enactment of H.R. 7311, the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (TVPRA). Passed by Congress on December 10, the legislation was signed by President Bush on Tuesday, December 23, at the White House.
“Trafficking in human persons is a horrific crime and should be combated with all the legal means and resources available,” Bishop Wester said. “The enactment of this legislation is another important step toward eradicating this scourge, both in the United States and globally.”
In his remarks, Bishop Wester thanked President Bush and Congress for their leadership on this important human rights issue, but also urged President-elect Obama and the new Congress to ensure that anti-trafficking efforts remain a high priority.
“President Bush has done much to elevate public awareness about human trafficking and should be thanked for his leadership,” Bishop Wester said. “It will be important, however, that the new Administration and new Congress remain vigilant and continue to work to end to this abominable practice.”
Julianne Duncan, associate director of Children’s Services for Migration and Refugee Services (MRS) of the USCCB, emphasized the need for governmental agencies at the national and local levels to cooperate in implementing the new law.
“It is vital that the federal and local governments better coordinate their efforts, so that more human trafficking victims, including children, are identified, rescued, and provided appropriate services,” Duncan said.
Specifically, the new law will extend services and benefits to a greater number of trafficking victims who urgently need them. Victims who have a pending application for a visa, for example, will now be eligible for benefits immediately. Additionally, children believed to have experienced a form of trafficking will receive 120 days of interim assistance as they wait to be determined eligible for assistance as victims by the federal government.
Duncan also praised provisions in the legislation which will assist vulnerable children at risk of being trafficked. Provisions include reform of the process for children applying for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), making more children eligible for permanent legal status and refugee program benefits; a mandate that these children are placed in least restrictive settings based on a “best interest of the child” standard; and requirements that home studies be conducted before children are released. Another important provision creates protections for children who are determined ineligible for legal status in the United States and are repatriated to their home country.
“Children, especially those without parents or guardians, are particularly susceptible to human traffickers and are unable to escape trafficking situations. The provisions targeted toward children will help ensure they are better protected and that they receive services in a timely manner,” Duncan said.
MRS/USCCB provides social services to victims of human trafficking and was part of a group of organizations that actively advocated for inclusion of the children’s provisions in the legislation. MRS/USCCB also convenes the Catholic Coalition Against Human Trafficking, a coalition that supported the legislation and includes over 20 Catholic-related agencies and religious orders.
Bishops Welcome Regulation Protecting Conscience
12/19/2008 06:55 AM Filed in: Religious
Liberty
WASHINGTON — A
final regulation protecting health care
providers’ conscience rights was issued December
18 by the Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS). The U.S. Catholic bishops’ spokesperson on
abortion, Deirdre A. McQuade, welcomed the published
regulation as a way to protect medical personnel from
being coerced to violate their consciences in federally
funded programs. The regulation clarifies and
implements existing federal statutes enacted by
Congress in 1973, 1996 and 2004. (For the text of these
laws see www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/abortion/crmay08.pdf.)
“Individuals and institutions committed to healing should not be required to take the very human life that they are dedicated to protecting,” McQuade said. “The enforcement of federal laws to protect their freedom of conscience is long overdue.”
“Catholic health care providers will especially welcome this mark of respect for the excellent life-affirming care they provide to all in need. But Catholics do not stand alone in opposition to the deliberate destruction of nascent human life. All health care providers should be free to serve their patients without violating their most deeply held moral and religious convictions in support of life,” McQuade said.
“The USCCB thanks Secretary Michael Leavitt for implementing this regulation,” McQuade said. “We urge the incoming Congress and Administration to honor this much-needed implementation of longstanding laws. Respect for conscience rights on abortion should be a strong point of agreement among those considering themselves ‘pro-life’ and ‘pro-choice.’ Yet this regulation is already under attack. A month before it was even published, pro-abortion senators had introduced a bill (S. 20) to invalidate it regardless of its content.”
The USCCB issued a statement on August 21 welcoming the proposed regulation when it was first released for public comment (www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2008/08-118.shtml). Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, chair of the bishops’ Committee for Pro-Life Activities, also wrote to Congress urging respect for conscience protection measures (www.usccb.org/prolife/rigali-conscience071808.pdf). Formal comments on the proposal were later submitted by the USCCB Office of General Counsel (www.usccb.org/ogc/ruleind.shtml).
“Individuals and institutions committed to healing should not be required to take the very human life that they are dedicated to protecting,” McQuade said. “The enforcement of federal laws to protect their freedom of conscience is long overdue.”
“Catholic health care providers will especially welcome this mark of respect for the excellent life-affirming care they provide to all in need. But Catholics do not stand alone in opposition to the deliberate destruction of nascent human life. All health care providers should be free to serve their patients without violating their most deeply held moral and religious convictions in support of life,” McQuade said.
“The USCCB thanks Secretary Michael Leavitt for implementing this regulation,” McQuade said. “We urge the incoming Congress and Administration to honor this much-needed implementation of longstanding laws. Respect for conscience rights on abortion should be a strong point of agreement among those considering themselves ‘pro-life’ and ‘pro-choice.’ Yet this regulation is already under attack. A month before it was even published, pro-abortion senators had introduced a bill (S. 20) to invalidate it regardless of its content.”
The USCCB issued a statement on August 21 welcoming the proposed regulation when it was first released for public comment (www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2008/08-118.shtml). Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, chair of the bishops’ Committee for Pro-Life Activities, also wrote to Congress urging respect for conscience protection measures (www.usccb.org/prolife/rigali-conscience071808.pdf). Formal comments on the proposal were later submitted by the USCCB Office of General Counsel (www.usccb.org/ogc/ruleind.shtml).
Dignitas Personae
The
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has
released an important document on the dignity of
human life at its earliest stages. The document
addresses a number of issues, focusing on how the
dignity of the human person is violated,
challenged, and threatened by new scientific and
political practices.
Find the the document and related items here.
Covering the Children
12/16/2008 12:07 PM Filed in: Health
Care
In
Catholic teaching, health care is a right, not a
privilege. As lawmakers prepare for the next
legislative session, there is a move to cover more of
the children of the working poor. A recent graphic from
the Forum illustrates the situation.
Helping the Newcomer
Since
the Old Testament, the test of a just society was how
well it welcomed and helped immigrants.
The Grand Forks Herald recently highlighted how the area’s schools are helping children learn English. Some of the money needed for these programs come from the federal government, but state money is also needed. Each legislative session, the questions arise about the program. Those concerned about the Biblical instruction to welcome the newcomer should read this story.
The Grand Forks Herald recently highlighted how the area’s schools are helping children learn English. Some of the money needed for these programs come from the federal government, but state money is also needed. Each legislative session, the questions arise about the program. Those concerned about the Biblical instruction to welcome the newcomer should read this story.
More North Dakotans Rely on Food Stamps
12/14/2008 09:59 AM Filed in: Economic
Justice
The
Forum
reports
that the number of North Dakotans using food stamps
(now called SNAP - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program) has increased. Some officials say that the
increase is not due to the economy, but to changes in
eligibility requirements. Officials in Clay County,
Minnesota, however, say the increase is due to the
economy. You can read the story
here.
Governor Releases Budget
12/03/2008 10:44 AM Filed in: Legislature
|Health
Care
Governor
John Hoeven has released his budget recommendations for
the 2009-11 biennium. Among the highlights (as reported
by the Associated Press):
MEDICAL COSTS: Reimbursement rates for medical providers, including doctors, dentists and chiropractors, who provide services to Medicaid patients are increased to a higher base level. Hoeven also proposes increasing those higher rates by 7 percent annually.
CHILD HEALTH CARE: North Dakota families with incomes up to twice as high as the federal poverty level would be eligible for health insurance coverage for their children. The current limit for the Children's Health Insurance Program is 150 percent of the poverty level. The proposal would make more than 3,000 children newly eligible for the program.
Hoeven's budget includes $1.1 million in state funds to increase eligibility to 200 percent, which equals an annual income of $42,400 for a family of four. The total added expense is $4.4 million. The remaining $3.3 million would be paid by the federal government.
FEDERAL MONEY: Congress is being asked to provide almost 37 percent of Hoeven's proposed $7.71 billion budget over two years. Federal money provides significant chunks of the budgets of two of the state's largest agencies, the Department of Human Services and the Department of Transportation.
CHILD CARE CHECKS: Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem's office would get $900,000 and authorization to hire five new employees to cover the Bureau of Criminal Investigation's costs for conducting criminal background checks on child care workers.
MEDICAL COSTS: Reimbursement rates for medical providers, including doctors, dentists and chiropractors, who provide services to Medicaid patients are increased to a higher base level. Hoeven also proposes increasing those higher rates by 7 percent annually.
CHILD HEALTH CARE: North Dakota families with incomes up to twice as high as the federal poverty level would be eligible for health insurance coverage for their children. The current limit for the Children's Health Insurance Program is 150 percent of the poverty level. The proposal would make more than 3,000 children newly eligible for the program.
Hoeven's budget includes $1.1 million in state funds to increase eligibility to 200 percent, which equals an annual income of $42,400 for a family of four. The total added expense is $4.4 million. The remaining $3.3 million would be paid by the federal government.
FEDERAL MONEY: Congress is being asked to provide almost 37 percent of Hoeven's proposed $7.71 billion budget over two years. Federal money provides significant chunks of the budgets of two of the state's largest agencies, the Department of Human Services and the Department of Transportation.
CHILD CARE CHECKS: Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem's office would get $900,000 and authorization to hire five new employees to cover the Bureau of Criminal Investigation's costs for conducting criminal background checks on child care workers.
Poll Shows Overwhelming Catholic Support for Immigration Reform
11/18/2008 02:39 PM Filed in: Migration
WASHINGTON—A
recent Zogby poll of Catholics nationwide showed
overwhelming support for reform of our nation’s
immigration laws, with Catholics supporting a path to
citizenship for the estimated 12 million undocumented
persons in the country.
The poll conducted October 17-20, included a sample of 1,000 people who self-identified as Roman Catholics and was commissioned by Migration and Refugee Services of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (MRS/USCCB). It had a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percentage points.
About 69 percent of Catholics polled supported a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, provided they register with the government; 62 percent supported the concept if they were required to learn English. The U.S. Catholic bishops have long endorsed a path to citizenship for undocumented persons that would include requirements to register with the government and to learn English.
“These results show that, like other Americans, Catholics want a solution to the challenge of illegal immigration and support undocumented immigrants becoming full members of our communities and nation,” said Johnny Young, executive director of Migration and Refugee Services of the USCCB. “It is clear that those opposed to a legalization of the undocumented are a minority,” he added.
In other findings, 64 percent of Catholics opposed the construction of a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico, while three out of four Catholics agree that the church has a moral obligation to help provide for the humanitarian needs of immigrants, regardless of their legal status.
Todd Scribner, education coordinator for MRS/USCCB, stated that the poll results demonstrated that the efforts of the U.S. bishops to educate Catholics on the realities of immigration are bearing fruit.
“Catholics are generally in agreement with their bishops that there needs to be a comprehensive and humane solution to our immigration problems,” Scribner said. “The strong educational efforts of the bishops, through the Justice for Immigrants Campaign and their own teachings, have helped generate support in the Catholic community for comprehensive reform.”
The U.S. bishops launched an educational initiative in 2005, entitled the Justice for Immigrants Campaign, to educate Catholics on the need for comprehensive immigration reform.
The poll conducted October 17-20, included a sample of 1,000 people who self-identified as Roman Catholics and was commissioned by Migration and Refugee Services of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (MRS/USCCB). It had a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percentage points.
About 69 percent of Catholics polled supported a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, provided they register with the government; 62 percent supported the concept if they were required to learn English. The U.S. Catholic bishops have long endorsed a path to citizenship for undocumented persons that would include requirements to register with the government and to learn English.
“These results show that, like other Americans, Catholics want a solution to the challenge of illegal immigration and support undocumented immigrants becoming full members of our communities and nation,” said Johnny Young, executive director of Migration and Refugee Services of the USCCB. “It is clear that those opposed to a legalization of the undocumented are a minority,” he added.
In other findings, 64 percent of Catholics opposed the construction of a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico, while three out of four Catholics agree that the church has a moral obligation to help provide for the humanitarian needs of immigrants, regardless of their legal status.
Todd Scribner, education coordinator for MRS/USCCB, stated that the poll results demonstrated that the efforts of the U.S. bishops to educate Catholics on the realities of immigration are bearing fruit.
“Catholics are generally in agreement with their bishops that there needs to be a comprehensive and humane solution to our immigration problems,” Scribner said. “The strong educational efforts of the bishops, through the Justice for Immigrants Campaign and their own teachings, have helped generate support in the Catholic community for comprehensive reform.”
The U.S. bishops launched an educational initiative in 2005, entitled the Justice for Immigrants Campaign, to educate Catholics on the need for comprehensive immigration reform.
Cardinal George to Obama: Abortion Destroys the Common Good
11/12/2008 12:40 PM Filed in: Abortion
|Catholic
Social Teaching
STATEMENT of the President of the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops
“If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labor; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil.” (Psalm 127, vs. 1)
The Bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States welcome this moment of historic transition and look forward to working with President-elect Obama and the members of the new Congress for the common good of all. Because of the Church’s history and the scope of her ministries in this country, we want to continue our work for economic justice and opportunity for all; our efforts to reform laws around immigration and the situation of the undocumented; our provision of better education and adequate health care for all, especially for women and children; our desire to safeguard religious freedom and foster peace at home and abroad. The Church is intent on doing good and will continue to cooperate gladly with the government and all others working for these goods.
The fundamental good is life itself, a gift from God and our parents. A good state protects the lives of all. Legal protection for those members of the human family waiting to be born in this country was removed when the Supreme Court decided Roe vs. Wade in 1973. This was bad law. The danger the Bishops see at this moment is that a bad court decision will be enshrined in bad legislation that is more radical than the 1973 Supreme Court decision itself.
In the last Congress, a Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) was introduced that would, if brought forward in the same form today, outlaw any “interference” in providing abortion at will. It would deprive the American people in all fifty states of the freedom they now have to enact modest restraints and regulations on the abortion industry. FOCA would coerce all Americans into subsidizing and promoting abortion with their tax dollars. It would counteract any and all sincere efforts by government and others of good will to reduce the number of abortions in our country.
Parental notification and informed consent precautions would be outlawed, as would be laws banning procedures such as partial-birth abortion and protecting infants born alive after a failed abortion. Abortion clinics would be deregulated. The Hyde Amendment restricting the federal funding of abortions would be abrogated. FOCA would have lethal consequences for prenatal human life.
FOCA would have an equally destructive effect on the freedom of conscience of doctors, nurses and health care workers whose personal convictions do not permit them to cooperate in the private killing of unborn children. It would threaten Catholic health care institutions and Catholic Charities. It would be an evil law that would further divide our country, and the Church should be intent on opposing evil.
On this issue, the legal protection of the unborn, the bishops are of one mind with Catholics and others of good will. They are also pastors who have listened to women whose lives have been diminished because they believed they had no choice but to abort a baby. Abortion is a medical procedure that kills, and the psychological and spiritual consequences are written in the sorrow and depression of many women and men. The bishops are single-minded because they are, first of all, single-hearted.
The recent election was principally decided out of concern for the economy, for the loss of jobs and homes and financial security for families, here and around the world. If the election is misinterpreted ideologically as a referendum on abortion, the unity desired by President-elect Obama and all Americans at this moment of crisis will be impossible to achieve. Abortion kills not only unborn children; it destroys constitutional order and the common good, which is assured only when the life of every human being is legally protected. Aggressively pro-abortion policies, legislation and executive orders will permanently alienate tens of millions of Americans, and would be seen by many as an attack on the free exercise of their religion.
This statement is written at the request and direction of all the Bishops, who also want to thank all those in politics who work with good will to protect the lives of the most vulnerable among us. Those in public life do so, sometimes, at the cost of great sacrifice to themselves and their families; and we are grateful. We express again our great desire to work with all those who cherish the common good of our nation. The common good is not the sum total of individual desires and interests; it is achieved in the working out of a common life based upon good reason and good will for all.
Our prayers accompany President-elect Obama and his family and those who are cooperating with him to assure a smooth transition in government. Many issues demand immediate attention on the part of our elected “watchman.” (Psalm 127) May God bless him and our country.
“If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labor; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil.” (Psalm 127, vs. 1)
The Bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States welcome this moment of historic transition and look forward to working with President-elect Obama and the members of the new Congress for the common good of all. Because of the Church’s history and the scope of her ministries in this country, we want to continue our work for economic justice and opportunity for all; our efforts to reform laws around immigration and the situation of the undocumented; our provision of better education and adequate health care for all, especially for women and children; our desire to safeguard religious freedom and foster peace at home and abroad. The Church is intent on doing good and will continue to cooperate gladly with the government and all others working for these goods.
The fundamental good is life itself, a gift from God and our parents. A good state protects the lives of all. Legal protection for those members of the human family waiting to be born in this country was removed when the Supreme Court decided Roe vs. Wade in 1973. This was bad law. The danger the Bishops see at this moment is that a bad court decision will be enshrined in bad legislation that is more radical than the 1973 Supreme Court decision itself.
In the last Congress, a Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) was introduced that would, if brought forward in the same form today, outlaw any “interference” in providing abortion at will. It would deprive the American people in all fifty states of the freedom they now have to enact modest restraints and regulations on the abortion industry. FOCA would coerce all Americans into subsidizing and promoting abortion with their tax dollars. It would counteract any and all sincere efforts by government and others of good will to reduce the number of abortions in our country.
Parental notification and informed consent precautions would be outlawed, as would be laws banning procedures such as partial-birth abortion and protecting infants born alive after a failed abortion. Abortion clinics would be deregulated. The Hyde Amendment restricting the federal funding of abortions would be abrogated. FOCA would have lethal consequences for prenatal human life.
FOCA would have an equally destructive effect on the freedom of conscience of doctors, nurses and health care workers whose personal convictions do not permit them to cooperate in the private killing of unborn children. It would threaten Catholic health care institutions and Catholic Charities. It would be an evil law that would further divide our country, and the Church should be intent on opposing evil.
On this issue, the legal protection of the unborn, the bishops are of one mind with Catholics and others of good will. They are also pastors who have listened to women whose lives have been diminished because they believed they had no choice but to abort a baby. Abortion is a medical procedure that kills, and the psychological and spiritual consequences are written in the sorrow and depression of many women and men. The bishops are single-minded because they are, first of all, single-hearted.
The recent election was principally decided out of concern for the economy, for the loss of jobs and homes and financial security for families, here and around the world. If the election is misinterpreted ideologically as a referendum on abortion, the unity desired by President-elect Obama and all Americans at this moment of crisis will be impossible to achieve. Abortion kills not only unborn children; it destroys constitutional order and the common good, which is assured only when the life of every human being is legally protected. Aggressively pro-abortion policies, legislation and executive orders will permanently alienate tens of millions of Americans, and would be seen by many as an attack on the free exercise of their religion.
This statement is written at the request and direction of all the Bishops, who also want to thank all those in politics who work with good will to protect the lives of the most vulnerable among us. Those in public life do so, sometimes, at the cost of great sacrifice to themselves and their families; and we are grateful. We express again our great desire to work with all those who cherish the common good of our nation. The common good is not the sum total of individual desires and interests; it is achieved in the working out of a common life based upon good reason and good will for all.
Our prayers accompany President-elect Obama and his family and those who are cooperating with him to assure a smooth transition in government. Many issues demand immediate attention on the part of our elected “watchman.” (Psalm 127) May God bless him and our country.
'We are our brothers' keepers,' remind bishops in economic statement
11/12/2008 10:29 AM Filed in: Economic
Justice
Statement on Economic Crisis
By Patricia Zapor
Catholic News Service
BALTIMORE (CNS) -- At a time of economic crisis, the U.S. Catholic bishops issued a statement Nov. 11 reminding people that "we are our brothers' and sisters' keepers. We are all in this together."
The brief statement issued by Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago, the bishops' president, noted that "hard times can isolate us or they can bring us together."
It was drafted during the annual fall meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore and approved by the body of bishops in a voice vote Nov. 11 as a statement from Cardinal George on their behalf.
"As pastors and bishops, we see the many human and moral consequences of this crisis," the statement said. Though the impact of the crisis is greater in some regions of the country, families all across the nation are losing their homes, workers are losing their jobs and health care coverage, retirement savings are threatened and people are losing the sense of hope and security, it continued.
But the church will continue to "reach out to those in need, stand with those who are hurt, and work for policies that bring greater compassion, accountability and justice to economic life," the statement said.
Bishop Leonard P. Blair of Toledo, Ohio, who suggested the statement, said at a press conference following its approval that the impetus for it came out of "the very basic concern we have as pastors" that the economic situation be met with understanding, compassion and a sense of solidarity with one's neighbors.
A day earlier in his home state, he noted, another major employer announced dramatic job cuts. DHL, the international shipping company, announced it was eliminating 9,500 jobs, about 7,000 of them located in Wilmington, Ohio.
"Our people are hurting and the bishops want to be with people as they're hurting," Bishop Blair said.
Archbishop George H. Niederauer of San Francisco, who chairs the bishops' communications committee, said the bishops felt it was important to raise people's consciousness about the needs of their neighbors.
Even before the recent economic downturn, many dioceses were hit hard financially by payouts of settlements for sexual abuse claims, Archbishop Niederauer noted. But in times like these, helping people in need is far less about the diminished assets of a diocese than it is about "calling people to come forward" to help their neighbors, he said.
Bishop Blair said Toledo has a long tradition of people helping people, particularly at the parish level, and he doesn't see that being particularly affected by diocesan financial situations.
"If all politics is local, a lot of charity is also local," said Archbishop Niederauer.
Parish collections, the annual diocesan charity appeals, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and local food pantries are the kind of help that people have generously supported to help their neighbors in the past and that the bishops hope to encourage with the statement, he said.
The statement noted that Pope Benedict XVI in his message for the 2008 World Day of Peace said families need to have "a home, employment and a just recognition of the domestic activity of parents, the possibility of schooling for children and basic health care for all." The pope, it said, "also insists that society and public policy should be 'committed to assisting the family in these areas.'"
The bishops concluded by offering prayers for families and individuals, "our sisters and brothers, who are hurting, anxious or discouraged in these difficult times. We also pledge our prayers for our wounded nation and suffering world. We pray that, working together, we can find the courage, wisdom and ways to build an economy of prosperity and greater justice for all."
END
11/11/2008 2:14 PM ET
Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Bans Abortion
10/27/2008 11:37 AM Filed in: Abortion
North
Dakota’s Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa adopted
a resolution prohibiting abortion on the reservation
and 
property
owned by the tribe. According to newspaper
accounts here,
here,
and here a
critic of the resolution claims that it violates
procedural rules, Roe
v. Wade,
impacts the Violence Against Women Act, and imposes
religious beliefs.
Putting aside for now the procedural questions and Roe, it is difficult to see how it would violate the Violence Against Women Act since that act does not mandate abortion procedures. The religious imposition claim also makes no sense. The mere fact that some or even a majority of citizens rely on a religious belief in support of a particular policy does not make the policy invalid.
property
owned by the tribe. According to newspaper
accounts here,
here,
and here a
critic of the resolution claims that it violates
procedural rules, Roe
v. Wade,
impacts the Violence Against Women Act, and imposes
religious beliefs.
Putting aside for now the procedural questions and Roe, it is difficult to see how it would violate the Violence Against Women Act since that act does not mandate abortion procedures. The religious imposition claim also makes no sense. The mere fact that some or even a majority of citizens rely on a religious belief in support of a particular policy does not make the policy invalid.
There's Still Time to Order Voter Cards!
10/23/2008 10:53 AM Filed in: Voting
If you place your order
before Wednesday, October 28, you could still receive
cards before Sunday, November 2 (the last Sunday before
the election.) You will need to order earlier
than that if you want to insert them in the parish
bulletins.
There are still some parishes that have not ordered their cards. This is the Catholic voter publication approved by the bishops of North Dakota. There is no charge for the cards.
You can place orders on-line at: http://www.yourfaithyourvote.org/getcards/index.html, by calling the North Dakota Catholic Conference at 701-223-2519 or 1-888-419-1237, or by emailing us at info@yourfaithyourvote.org.
There are still some parishes that have not ordered their cards. This is the Catholic voter publication approved by the bishops of North Dakota. There is no charge for the cards.
You can place orders on-line at: http://www.yourfaithyourvote.org/getcards/index.html, by calling the North Dakota Catholic Conference at 701-223-2519 or 1-888-419-1237, or by emailing us at info@yourfaithyourvote.org.
Find Your Polling Station
10/20/2008 12:24 PM Filed in: Voting
Should the Church be involved in agriculture policy?
10/13/2008 11:12 AM Filed in: Rural Life
James Ennis, Executive
Director of the National Catholic Rural Life
Conference addresses that
question.
Urgent: FOCA Opposition Resources
10/02/2008 03:56 PM Filed in: Abortion
As
parishes across the country begin to observe
Respect Life Month, we encourage you to make use
of the new resources to highlight the significant
dangers of the Freedom of Choice Act and to ask
parishioners to urge Congress to oppose FOCA. The
“bell tower” bulletin insert can be
placed in parish bulletins or handed out. It can
be printed locally in black and white
or
color.
Also just released is a Fact Sheet on the dangers of FOCA.
Register for ND Catholic Health Care Annual Conference
10/01/2008 09:56 AM Filed in: Health
Care
Registration is
now open for the annual conference of
North Dakota Catholic Health Care
Providers.
The theme for this year’s conference is: Faithfully Facing our Future: Challenges and Choices in Catholic Health Care in North Dakota.
The program features:
Carl Middleton, Vice President of Theology and Ethics, Catholic Health Initiatives
Lynette Dickson, Program Director of the Center for Rural Health, University of North Dakota
Christopher Dodson, Executive Director, North Dakota Catholic Conference
Registration is open to the public.
Go here to register online.
The theme for this year’s conference is: Faithfully Facing our Future: Challenges and Choices in Catholic Health Care in North Dakota.
The program features:
Carl Middleton, Vice President of Theology and Ethics, Catholic Health Initiatives
Lynette Dickson, Program Director of the Center for Rural Health, University of North Dakota
Christopher Dodson, Executive Director, North Dakota Catholic Conference
Registration is open to the public.
Go here to register online.
Two Timely Stories from Rome
10/01/2008 09:51 AM Filed in: Economic
Justice |Voting
Zenit has two stories relevant to
today’s headlines:
Cardinal Bertone Defends Religion in Public Square
“The cardinal stressed that it is "totally legitimate" for Christians ‘to participate in the public debate. If not, theist and religious arguments and reasoning could not be invoked publicly in a democratic and liberal society, while rationalist and secular arguments could be invoked -- clearly violating the principle of equality and reciprocity, which is at the base of the concept of political justice.’”
Vatican Aide: Put Man at the Center of the Economy
“The financial crisis under way in the United States should remind us that the human person must be at the center of the economy, says the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. . .”
Cardinal Bertone Defends Religion in Public Square
“The cardinal stressed that it is "totally legitimate" for Christians ‘to participate in the public debate. If not, theist and religious arguments and reasoning could not be invoked publicly in a democratic and liberal society, while rationalist and secular arguments could be invoked -- clearly violating the principle of equality and reciprocity, which is at the base of the concept of political justice.’”
Vatican Aide: Put Man at the Center of the Economy
“The financial crisis under way in the United States should remind us that the human person must be at the center of the economy, says the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. . .”
Cardinal Rigali Urges Respect for Human Life, Opposition to ‘Freedom of Choice’ Act
Cardinal Rigali Urges Respect for Human Life,
Opposition to ‘Freedom of Choice’
Act
WASHINGTON—In a statement to mark Respect Life Sunday, October 5, Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia urged Catholics “to help build a culture in which every human life without exception is respected and defended.”
“Let us rededicate ourselves to defending the basic rights of those who are weakest and most marginalized: the poor, the homeless, the innocent unborn, and the frail and elderly who need our respect and our assistance,” he said. Cardinal Rigali chairs the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
Cardinal Rigali cited encouraging trends that “most Americans favor banning all abortion or permitting it only in very rare cases,” and that the U.S. abortion rate declined 26 percent between 1989 and 2004, with a 58 percent decline among girls under 18. He also addressed the threat posed by “FOCA,” a federal “Freedom of Choice Act” which, he said, “if enacted, would obliterate virtually all the gains of the past 35 years and cause the abortion rate to skyrocket.”
“We cannot allow this to happen. We cannot tolerate an even greater loss of innocent human lives. We cannot subject more women and men to the post-abortion grief and suffering that our counselors and priests encounter daily in Project Rachel programs across America,” Cardinal Rigali said.
He hailed therapeutic successes using adult stem cells and umbilical cord blood.
“The Catholic Church strongly supports promising and ethically sound stem cell research – and strongly opposes killing week-old human embryos, or human beings at any stage, to extract their stem cells,” he said.
Cardinal Rigali also noted the continuing need to protect vulnerable patients at the end of life. Legalizing physician-assisted suicide, as proposed in a Washington State ballot initiative this November, would “betray the ideal of America as a compassionate society honoring the inherent worth of every human being.”
The Respect Life program, begun in 1972, stresses the value and dignity of human life. It is observed in the 195 Catholic dioceses in the United States. This year’s theme is “Hope and Trust in Life!” The full statement follows.
WASHINGTON—In a statement to mark Respect Life Sunday, October 5, Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia urged Catholics “to help build a culture in which every human life without exception is respected and defended.”
“Let us rededicate ourselves to defending the basic rights of those who are weakest and most marginalized: the poor, the homeless, the innocent unborn, and the frail and elderly who need our respect and our assistance,” he said. Cardinal Rigali chairs the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
Cardinal Rigali cited encouraging trends that “most Americans favor banning all abortion or permitting it only in very rare cases,” and that the U.S. abortion rate declined 26 percent between 1989 and 2004, with a 58 percent decline among girls under 18. He also addressed the threat posed by “FOCA,” a federal “Freedom of Choice Act” which, he said, “if enacted, would obliterate virtually all the gains of the past 35 years and cause the abortion rate to skyrocket.”
“We cannot allow this to happen. We cannot tolerate an even greater loss of innocent human lives. We cannot subject more women and men to the post-abortion grief and suffering that our counselors and priests encounter daily in Project Rachel programs across America,” Cardinal Rigali said.
He hailed therapeutic successes using adult stem cells and umbilical cord blood.
“The Catholic Church strongly supports promising and ethically sound stem cell research – and strongly opposes killing week-old human embryos, or human beings at any stage, to extract their stem cells,” he said.
Cardinal Rigali also noted the continuing need to protect vulnerable patients at the end of life. Legalizing physician-assisted suicide, as proposed in a Washington State ballot initiative this November, would “betray the ideal of America as a compassionate society honoring the inherent worth of every human being.”
The Respect Life program, begun in 1972, stresses the value and dignity of human life. It is observed in the 195 Catholic dioceses in the United States. This year’s theme is “Hope and Trust in Life!” The full statement follows.
STATEMENT FOR REPECT LIFE SUNDAY
Cardinal
Justin F. Rigali
Chairman,
USCCB Committee on Pro-life
Activities
September
30, 2008
On October 5, 2008, Catholics across the United States
will again celebrate Respect Life
Sunday. Throughout the month of October, Catholic
parishes and organizations will sponsor hundreds of
educational conferences, prayer services, and
opportunities for public witness, as well as events to
raise funds for programs assisting those in need. Such
initiatives are integral to the Church’s ongoing
effort to help build a culture in which every human
life without
exception is
respected and defended.
Education and advocacy during Respect Life Month
address a broad range of moral and public policy
issues. Among these, the care of persons with
disabilities and those nearing the end of life is an
enduring concern. Some medical ethicists wrongly
promote ending the lives of patients with serious
physical and mental disabilities by withdrawing their
food and water, even though – or in some cases
precisely because -- they are not
imminently
dying. This November, the citizens of Washington State
will vote on a ballot initiative to legalize
doctor-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. In
neighboring Oregon, where assisted suicide is already
legal, the state has refused to cover the cost of
life-sustaining treatments for some patients facing
terminal illness, while callously informing them that
Oregon will
pay
for suicide pills. Such policies betray the ideal of
America as a compassionate society honoring the
inherent worth of every human being.
Embryonic stem cell research also presents grave
ethical concerns. The Catholic Church strongly supports
promising and ethically sound stem cell research
– and strongly opposes killing week-old human
embryos, or human beings at any stage, to extract their
stem cells. We applaud the remarkable therapeutic
successes that have been achieved using stem cells from
cord blood and adult tissues. We vigorously oppose
initiatives, like the one confronting Michigan voters
in November, that would endorse the deliberate
destruction of developing human beings for embryonic
stem cell research.
Turning to abortion, we note that most Americans favor
banning all abortion or permitting it only in very rare
cases (danger to the mother’s life or cases of
rape or incest). Also encouraging is the finding
of a recent Guttmacher Institute study that the U.S.
abortion rate declined 26% between 1989 and 2004. The
decline was steepest, 58%, among girls under 18. An
important factor in this trend is that teens
increasingly are choosing to remain abstinent until
their late teens or early 20s. Regrettably, when they
do become sexually active prior to marrying, many
become pregnant and choose abortion -- the abortion
rate increased among women aged 20 and older between
1974 and 2004, although the rate is now gradually
declining.
Today, however, we face the threat of a federal bill
that, if enacted, would obliterate virtually all the
gains of the past 35 years and cause the abortion rate
to skyrocket. The “Freedom of Choice Act”
(“FOCA”) has many Congressional sponsors,
some of whom have pledged to act swiftly to help enact
this proposed legislation when Congress reconvenes in
January.
FOCA establishes abortion as a “fundamental
right” throughout the nine months of pregnancy,
and forbids any law or policy that could
“interfere” with that right or
“discriminate” against it in public funding
and programs. If FOCA became law, hundreds of
reasonable, widely supported, and constitutionally
sound abortion regulations now in place would be
invalidated. Gone would be laws providing for informed
consent, and parental consent or notification in the
case of minors. Laws protecting women from unsafe
abortion clinics and from abortion practitioners who
are not physicians would be overridden. Restrictions on
partial-birth and other late-term abortions would be
eliminated. FOCA would knock down laws protecting the
conscience rights of nurses, doctors, and hospitals
with moral objections to abortion, and force taxpayers
to fund abortions throughout the United States.
We cannot allow this to happen. We cannot tolerate an
even greater loss of innocent human lives. We cannot
subject more women and men to the post-abortion grief
and suffering that our counselors and priests encounter
daily in Project Rachel programs across America.
For twenty-four years, the Catholic Church has provided
free, confidential counseling to individuals seeking
emotional and spiritual healing after an abortion,
whether their own or a loved one’s. We look
forward to the day when these counseling services are
no longer needed, when every child is welcomed in life
and protected in law. If FOCA is enacted, however, that
day may recede into the very distant future.
In this Respect Life Month, let us rededicate ourselves
to defending the basic rights of those who are weakest
and most marginalized: the poor, the homeless, the
innocent unborn, and the frail and elderly who need our
respect and our assistance. In this and in so many
ways we will truly build a culture of life.
